Course description

For foster carers and social workers, especially those caring for Caribbean-heritage children

Carnival is colour, music and joy. It is also a story of freedom, resistance and community that began on the sugar plantations of the Caribbean and now fills the streets of British cities every summer. In this course, you'll learn that story, and how to share it with the children in your care.

This interactive e-learning course has 5 short modules:

• Module 1: Roots in Trinidad
• Module 2: Mas, Music and J'ouvert
• Module 3: Carnival Comes to Britain
• Module 4: Carnival Across the Diaspora
• Module 5: Sharing Carnival with Children

It includes narration, practical scenarios and a final quiz of 12 questions (80% pass mark). You can learn at your own pace on any device, and you'll receive a certificate when you complete the course.

What will i learn?

• Explain how Trinidad carnival grew from masquerades, Canboulay and emancipation
• Describe mas, calypso, steelpan and J'ouvert, and where they came from
• Outline how Notting Hill Carnival began, and why its founding is debated
• Recognise how carnival spread across the Caribbean diaspora and the UK
• Explain why carnival matters for resistance, freedom, identity and community
• Share carnival with children safely, respectfully and with pride

Frequently asked question